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Read the Bible

Amplified Bible

Acts 14:16

"In generations past He permitted all the nations to go their own ways;

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Barnabas;   Gentiles;   God Continued...;   Homage;   Lycaonia;   Lystra;   Minister, Christian;   Paul;   Zeal, Religious;   Scofield Reference Index - Elders;   Thompson Chain Reference - Missions, World-Wide;   The Topic Concordance - Worship;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Galatians, letter to the;   Lystra;   Mission;   Paul;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Providence of God;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Jesus Christ;   Ordination;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Acts of the Apostles;   Iconium;   Lycaonia;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Acts;   Gods, Pagan;   Lycaonia;   Proverbs, Book of;   Revelation of God;   Timothy;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Canon of the New Testament;   Messiah;   Way;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Galatia ;   Galatians Epistle to the;   Garlands ;   God;   Inspiration and Revelation;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Lystra ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Iconium;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Lycaonia;   Lystra;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Saul of Tarsus;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Doctrine;   Forgiveness;   Philosophy;   Revelation;   Way;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
In past generations he allowed all the nations to go their own way,
King James Version (1611)
Who in times past, suffred all nations to walke in their owne wayes.
King James Version
Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.
English Standard Version
In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.
New American Standard Bible
"In past generations He permitted all the nations to go their own ways;
New Century Version
In the past, God let all the nations do what they wanted.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"In the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways;
Legacy Standard Bible
In the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways;
Berean Standard Bible
In past generations, He let all nations go their own way.
Contemporary English Version
In times past, God let each nation go its own way.
Complete Jewish Bible
In times past, he allowed all peoples to walk in their own ways;
Darby Translation
who in the past generations suffered all the nations to go in their own ways,
Easy-to-Read Version
"In the past God let all the nations do what they wanted.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Who in times past suffered all the Gentiles to walke in their owne waies.
George Lamsa Translation
Who in generations past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.
Good News Translation
In the past he allowed all people to go their own way.
Lexham English Bible
who in generations that are past permitted all the nations to go their own ways.
Literal Translation
who in the generations which have passed allowed all the nations to go in their own ways,
American Standard Version
who in the generations gone by suffered all the nations to walk in their own ways.
Bible in Basic English
Who in the past let all nations go in the ways which seemed good to them.
Hebrew Names Version
who in the generations gone by allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.
International Standard Version
In past generations he allowed all the nations to go their own ways,Psalm 81:12; Acts 17:30; 1 Peter 4:3;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
who in former generations left all nations to walk in ways of their own;
Murdock Translation
He, in former ages, left all the nations to go in their own ways:
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The which in tymes past suffred all nations to walke in their owne wayes.
English Revised Version
who in the generations gone by suffered all the nations to walk in their own ways.
World English Bible
who in the generations gone by allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Yet he left not himself without witness,
Weymouth's New Testament
In times gone by He allowed all the nations to go their own ways;
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
which in generaciouns passid suffride alle folkis to gon in to her owne weies.
Update Bible Version
who in the generations gone by allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.
Webster's Bible Translation
Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.
New English Translation
In past generations he allowed all the nations to go their own ways,
New King James Version
who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways.
New Living Translation
In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own ways,
New Life Bible
Long ago He allowed all people to live the way they wanted to.
New Revised Standard
In past generations he allowed all the nations to follow their own ways;
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Who in the bygone generations suffered all the nations to be going on in their own ways, -
Douay-Rheims Bible
(14-15) Who in times past, suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.
Revised Standard Version
In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways;
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
the which in tymes past suffred all nacions to walke in their awne wayes.
Young's Literal Translation
who in the past generations did suffer all the nations to go on in their ways,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
which in tymes past suffred all ye Heythen to walke after their awne wayes.
Mace New Testament (1729)
who in past ages has let all Nations proceed in their own ways.
THE MESSAGE
"In the generations before us, God let all the different nations go their own way. But even then he didn't leave them without a clue, for he made a good creation, poured down rain and gave bumper crops. When your bellies were full and your hearts happy, there was evidence of good beyond your doing." Talking fast and hard like this, they prevented them from carrying out the sacrifice that would have honored them as gods—but just barely.
Simplified Cowboy Version
Up until recently, God had let folks go their own ways,

Contextual Overview

8Now at Lystra a man sat who was unable to use his feet, for he was crippled from birth and had never walked. 9This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, and Paul looked intently at him and saw that he had faith to be healed, 10and said with a loud voice, "Stand up on your feet." And he jumped up and began to walk. 11And the crowds, when they saw what Paul had done, raised their voices, shouting in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in human form!" 12They began calling Barnabas, Zeus [chief of the Greek gods], and Paul, Hermes [messenger of the Greek gods], since he took the lead in speaking. 13The priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance of the city, brought bulls and garlands to the city gates, and wanted to offer sacrifices with the crowds. 14But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard about it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting, 15"Men, why are you doing these things? We too are only men of the same nature as you, bringing the good news to you, so that you turn from these useless and meaningless things to the living God, WHO MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA AND EVERYTHING THAT IS IN THEM. 16"In generations past He permitted all the nations to go their own ways;17yet He did not leave Himself without some witness [as evidence of Himself], in that He kept constantly doing good things and showing you kindness, and giving you rains from heaven and productive seasons, filling your hearts with food and happiness."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

suffered: Acts 17:30, Psalms 81:12, Psalms 147:20, Hosea 4:17, Romans 1:21-25, Romans 1:28, Ephesians 2:12, 1 Peter 4:3

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 18:14 - hath not suffered Ecclesiastes 11:9 - walk Isaiah 44:18 - for he hath Isaiah 60:2 - the darkness Isaiah 63:19 - are thine Daniel 3:7 - all the people Acts 26:20 - and then Romans 1:19 - that which Romans 1:24 - God Romans 2:14 - which Ephesians 2:3 - in times

Cross-References

Genesis 12:2
And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you [abundantly], And make your name great (exalted, distinguished); And you shall be a blessing [a source of great good to others];
Genesis 14:11
Then the victors took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food supply and provisions and left.
Genesis 14:12
And they also took [captive] Lot, Abram's nephew, and his possessions and left, for he was living in Sodom.
Genesis 14:18
Melchizedek king of Salem (ancient Jerusalem) brought out bread and wine [for them]; he was the priest of God Most High.
Genesis 14:19
And Melchizedek blessed Abram and said, "Blessed (joyful, favored) be Abram by God Most High, Creator and Possessor of heaven and earth;
1 Samuel 30:8
David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I pursue this band [of raiders]? Will I overtake them?" And He answered him, "Pursue, for you will certainly overtake them, and you will certainly rescue [the captives]."
Isaiah 41:2
"Who has stirred up and put into action one from the east [the king of Persia, Cyrus the Great] Whom He calls in righteousness to His service and whom victory meets at every step? The LORD turns nations over to him And subdues kings. He makes them like dust with his sword, Like wind-driven chaff with his bow.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Who in times past,.... For many hundred years past; even ever since God chose and separated the people of Israel from the rest of the nations, to be a peculiar people to himself: from that time he

suffered all nations to walk in their own ways; of ignorance, superstition, and idolatry; which they devised, and chose, and delighted in: not that he gave them any licence to walk in these ways, without being chargeable with sin, or with impunity; but he left them to themselves, to the dim light and law of nature, and gave them no written law, nor any external revelation of his mind and will; nor did he send any prophets or ministers of his unto them, to show them the evil of their ways, and turn them from them, and direct them to the true God, and the right way of worshipping him; but left them to take their own methods, and pursue the imagination of their own hearts: but the apostle suggests, that the case was now altered, and God had sent them and other ministers of his, among all nations of the world, to protest against their superstition and idolatry; and to reclaim them from their evil ways, and to direct them to the true and living God, and his worship, and to preach salvation by his Son Jesus Christ.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Who in times past - Previous to the gospel; in past ages.

Suffered all nations - Permitted all nations; that is, all Gentiles, Acts 17:30. “And the times of this ignorance God winked at.”

To walk in their own ways - To conduct themselves without the restraints and instructions of a written law. They were permitted to follow their own reason and passions, and their own system of religion. God gave them no written laws, and sent to them no messengers. Why he did this we cannot determine. It might have been, among other reasons, to show to the world conclusively:

(1) The insufficiency of reason to guide people in the matters of religion. The experiment was made under the most favorable circumstances. The most enlightened nations, the Greeks and Romans, were left to pursue the inquiry, and failed no less than the most degraded tribes of people. The trial was made for four thousand years, and attended with the same results everywhere.

(2) It showed the need of revelation to guide man.

(3) It evinced, beyond the possibility of mistake, the depravity of man. In all nations, in all circumstances, people had shown the same alienation from God. By suffering them to walk in their own ways, it was seen that those ways were sin, and that some power more than human was necessary to bring people back to God.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 14:16. Who in times past suffered all nations, c.] The words παντα τα εθνη, which we here translate, all nations, should be rendered, all the Gentiles, merely to distinguish them from the Jewish people: who having a revelation, were not left to walk in their own ways but the heathens, who had not a revelation, were suffered to form their creed, and mode of worship, according to their own caprice.


 
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